Consumer desires to eliminate noxious odors has fueled a modern industry beginning in the twentieth century. Some bad odors can be eliminated merely by lighting a match or otherwise using fire. In the 1960's, Renuzit® marketed spray cans that filled the surrounding air with fragrances, such as baby powder, to mask odors. These were and are still marketed by that company as air fresheners. Today, Renuzit® sells “cones” containing fragrance gels and “pearls” that both absorb odors and emit pleasing fragrances. Air fresheners are marketed by Glade®, which also markets odor eliminating candles. Rubbermaid® sells plug-in cartridges that continuously fill a room with a desired fragrance (e.g., citrus scent). Odorklenz® sells products that neutralize some odors such as those from urine. Duluth Trading Co. sells an “odor eliminator” that runs on four C-batteries and uses electrically charged “activated oxygen” in footwear and gloves. This device claims to eliminate odors arising from sweat, mold, mildew, germs, toxins, and pollutants. Hamilton Beach® sells an electronic True Air® Room Odor Eliminator that uses a fan to force room air through three carbon filters, which neutralize the odors, and optionally add fragrances to the air. Biocide Systems™ markets a product that uses chlorine dioxide (ClO2) to neutralize odors. This product, when exposed to the air in a room, neutralizes cigarette smoke odors, skunk odors, cooking odors, and cat urine odors in carpets. The Gonzo® Odor Eliminator uses volcanic minerals to neutralize odors. OdorFree sells ozone generators that neutralize odors. However, free ozone in a room can be toxic to humans. Rocco & Roxie™ Supply Company produces an enzyme spray product to eliminate stains and odors. In 1996, Proctor & Gamble began marketing a product called Febreze®. This product utilizes cyclodextrin (hydroxyl-propyl-beta-cyclodextrin) as its active ingredient. This chemical does not neutralize odors, but rather inhibits the ability for humans to detect the odors. Some sources state that Febreze® also contains zinc chloride, which neutralizes sulfur odors, such as from onions and rotten eggs. However, zinc chloride is not listed as one of the ingredients of Febreze®. All of these products are just examples of products in this crowded industry.
Noxious odors can be divided into three categories, i.e., acidic odors, basic (or alkaline) odors, and neutral odors. Examples of acidic odors include hydrogen sulfide (H2S) [e.g., hard boiled or rotten eggs] and skunk. Examples of alkaline odors include ammonia, urine, and fish smells. Examples of neutral odors include body odors and putrid odors.
It would be desirable to have a non-toxic, water based, natural, herbal extract odor neutralizing substance that can be sprayed into a room or other confined area which would neutralize acidic, alkaline, and neutral odors. Although, such a product could include fragrances, the purpose of such a product would be to neutralize the odor rather than to mask the odor.